Last Spring, Pam Garvey’s Composition 1 service learning class applied for a philanthropy grant because the students wanted to do more for Circle of Concern than donate food. They applied for and received a grant to purchase something the pantry could use — a pallet jack. The paperwork took longer than expected to get the jack, and the semester ended by the time the pallet jack was available. However, the students came back to the class so they could deliver the pallet jack and help move the collected food from the truck to the pantry.

This was the first of two grants the students applied for. The students visited the pantry to write down food items that are available and decided to make a cookbook.

“The students designed the book and looked up all of the recipes,” Pam Garvey said.

It took a second grant to be able to print the books, but it was accepted. 256 copies of the book were printed and some were taken to Circle of Concern, while some are currently being sold in the bookstore for $5.

“The bookstore receives no profit from this,” Garvey said. “The money made goes back into the fund to print more books for the pantry.”

Garvey and Debra Corson, Service Learning Coordinator, both say that they have received nothing but positive feedback and even received a personally written letter by STLCC Chancellor Myrtle Dorsey.

“I think people were surprised at how yummy they looked,” Corson said.

The cookbook was not the first service learning activity Garvey was involved in. She also sponsored Food Revolution on Earth Day, which informed students about easier ways to eat nutritious foods. Another theme of the Food Revolution was Nutrition and Economics, which was to inform students about inexpensive ways to eat healthy.

“These are all strictly student focused,” Garvey said.

On March 4, Service Learning is sponsoring a food drive kickoff called March Madness. A food truck will be on campus encouraging students to donate canned goods. Activities such as decorating barrels and a “barrel hoop shoot” will be available to play. This event will occur on STLCC-Meramec’s campus from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“What’s so important about this is that Missouri is one of the worst states in food scarcity right now,” Garvey said. “We have 15 percent of our state that has food scarcity. This event will hopefully encourage students to donate and to understand the importance of donating food.”